Sree Vishnu essays four characters in the concept-based film Swag, directed by Hasith Goli. The comedy-drama tells the story of a fictitious royal clan named Swaaganika Vamsam that spans four generations. The actor interacts with CE and talks about the film’s theme of gender clash, the importance of knowing one’s family tree, and the layered narrative that the film is going to present.
Addressing the use of an English title for a “pure Telugu film,” as promoted by the team, he says, “The film is actually titled Swaaganika Vamsaaniki Swaagatham, but you see, many youngsters today can’t read Telugu. If we put up such a lengthy Telugu title, they might read till ‘Sa’ and leave. Now, Swag is a colloquial term and people get it instantly. Moreover, there is also a funny reasoning for this in the film, it’s also there in the trailer. For the ones who can read Telugu, even that title is in the poster.”
Talking about the premise of the film, he elaborates, “The film is basically a story about a royal family that starts from 1500 AD. It deals with a conflict between patriarchial and matriarchal systems. We tried something new and knowing that Telugu audiences always encourage fresh stories, we took a dive. I have complete confidence that people are going to enjoy this film fully.”
Elaborating on his four roles in the film that span three time periods, he remarks, “I have never done even a double role in a film, I don’t even know how to approach that but in this film, I am playing four roles because the Swaaganika family shown in the film has a special feature; all the men are born with the same features.
This is also the first time I had to put on prosthetic make up for a role. For the first two days, it felt exciting but then, for the rest of the shoot, it was a little challenging. However, when we launched our first teaser, Razor, the response it received, all the hard work paid off.”
Sree Vishnu is particularly known for his script selection, his witty remarks, and his undying commitment to content-driven films. He worked with many debut directors who are also strong screenwriters on various films, such as Mental Madhilo (2017) with Vivek Athreya and Raja Raja Chora (2021) with Hasith Goli, to name two.
Speaking on his method of choosing such unique scripts, he shares, “I love screenplay-driven films. But I get a narration first for any story and then, I approach reading it. Because, over-writing screenplay works wonders for some genres but doesn’t add value to others. Take, a family drama, too much play with the story might not work there. That deserves a simple treatment, while a thriller can have a lot of ingenuity in its screenplay. It all depends on the kind of story, I guess.”
Discussing the value that Swag might add to people’s lives, Sree Vishnu shares, “I think Swag is a film for everybody from the age of 6 to 60s, all audiences will enjoy the film. Even grandparents from villages will find this film amusing. For the initial half, Ritu Varma’s misandrist character might not appeal to men, and my character Bhavabhuti might repel women.
But once the film reaches its ending, everyone is going to universally enjoy the theme and the subject. The film also has a lot to teach about family tree and DNA. There are many such layered concepts that you can dig. I am fully confident about this film.”
Swag is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under the People Media Factory label. The film also stars Ritu Varma, Meera Jasmine, Daksha Nagarkar, Saranya Pradeep, Sunil, Ravi Babu, and others. Vivek Sagar’s unique soundtrack contributes to the great anticipation around the film, which is coming to the screens on October 4.